School Supplies
Want to take advantage of summer sales or get an early start on your back-to-school shopping? You can find out what your child will need to purchase for his or her 2008-09 school year at Warren Street on these school supply lists for each grade level.

Athletic Department Announces Summer Recreation Schedule
Enjoy the nice weather, get some physical activity and have some fun! The district is again offering a variety of activities to students through its Summer Recreation Program. View the Summer 2008 Recreation Program Flier and, should you have any questions, feel free to contact the Athletic Department at 762-7636.

Get Your Warren Street Newsletter
The following editions of the Warren Street Newsletter are now available for viewing online: June 08, May 08, April 08, March 08, February 08, January 2008, Mid-December 07, December 07, November 07, October 07, September 2007

Art Gallery Online
Check out the Warren Street Online Art Gallery Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4 & Page 5, where various artwork from Warren students is displayed.

Elementary Track Meet
Students in grades four through six from each of the Greater Johnstown School District's four elementary buildings took part in an Elementary Track Meet at Knox Field on June 9. Warren Street students were heartily cheered on by staff, family and friends. This event, arranged as part of Johnstown's physical education classes, champions good sportsmanship and life-long healthy physical activity. Here are a few photos of Warren Street students having fun under the sun that day!

Students Take On Courtyard Beautification
Warren Street's kindergarteners and fourth graders were recently spotted doing a little gardening in the Warren Street courtyard. Check out these photos of the students hard at work!

Physical Education Leadership Awards
Several students from each of Johnstown's four elementary schools, together with several Knox Junior High School students, were among more than 600 Capital District Area students recognized at the twenty-third annual Capital Zone Physical Education Student Leadership Awards Ceremony at Hudson Valley Community College on May 5. The Warren Street students selected to participate for their excellence in areas of fitness, citizenship and leadership were: Tim Monette, Ryan Auty, Chris Hutchison, Breanna VanValkenburgh, Catherine Hladik and Haley Martin. Congratulations to each of them!

Traveling Through Time at the GJSD Museum
Students in Mrs. Robinson's class recently ventured out to the Greater Johnstown School District Museum, located in the "white house" on Knox Field behind Knox Junior High School. Once there, they found a treasure-trove of school memorabilia, dating from the 1700's to present day, and carefully tended by curator William Pollak. Enjoy these photos of the students exploring the school district's history and then take a moment to read more about the museum.

Scotia-Glenville Traveling Museum Teaches Students Weaving
On Thursday, May 1, the Scotia-Glenville Traveling Museum paid a visit to Ms. Swatt’s class at Warren Street Elementary School. The children learned the “ins and outs” of weaving and even got to weave their own material using small looms. Enjoy these pictures of the process!

In recognition of Arbor Day Warren Street students & staff gathered together to plant a tree for all to enjoy!

Just What the Doctor Ordered
Warren Street students in grades two through four received a visit from Dr. R U Well, who teaches elementary school children about the importance of not smoking. In an effort to get across the very serious point that smoking is detrimental to your health, Dr. R U Well and her sidekick, Charlie, entertained and educated the students through the use of fun activities, such as sing-along songs, about the dangers of smoking. See photos from Dr. R U Well's visit.

Johnstown Celebrates 2008: Time Marches On
On April 9, students in grades three through six attended the Johnstown Celebrates 2008: Time Marches on Assembly at Warren Street Elementary School. Johnstown City Mayor Sarah J. Slingerland talked about the importance of Johnstown's history, as well as events that will take place throughout the year. Wanda Burch, curator at Sir William Johnson Hall, shared information on Sir William Johnson and his home. She told students about things available to them through tours and programs at Sir William Johnson Hall.  Noel Levee, city historian, shared vast knowledge about Johnstown. Assembly Photos.

Second Graders Recognize New York Ag Literacy Day
Agnes Sahut visited Mrs. Caroline Simpson’s second grade classroom at Warren Street School on April 9, in recognition of New York Ag Literacy Day. Second graders enjoyed hearing the story “Sugarbush Spring” by Marsha Wilson Chall. A copy of the book was donated to the school library and features a bookplate recognizing the donor, Marge Fagan, as well as NY Ag Literacy Day. 

Family Fun Night
On March 18, Warren Street students and families enjoyed a spaghetti dinner at the “Speedway Diner,” sponsored by the Warren Street PTA. For dessert, all were invited to grab an ice cream cone at the Ice Cream Social. After dinner, art teacher Heather Vazal and the Warren Street artists shared an evening of urban-themed art work in the gymnasium. Students were also able to visit the “Pit Stop” and “race into reading” by reading a book and taking an accelerated reader test. During the last part of the evening, entertainment was provided by the Wild Irish Acres Dancers, who performed traditional and original choreographies of soft-shoe & hard-shoe step dances, along with audience instruction of CEILI dance. This Family Fun Night presented a great opportunity to wrap up Warren Street’s “Parents as Reading Partners Program,” which encouraged students to read with a family member for a minimum of 15 minutes a day, five days a week and submit a weekly form. Be sure to take a peek at our Family Fun Night photos!

Warren Street Artists Display “Urban” Art
On Tuesday, March 18, the Warren Street Artists staged their annual Art Show. The evening included "urban" themed artworks, ranging from oil pastel graffiti-style names, to paintings of taxi cabs, to "skyscraper" displays. Students worked really hard on their projects for the show, as well as projects created throughout the year. Ms. Vazal would like to say a big thank you to the students and staff members for making the evening a success. Special thanks to the fourth, fifth and sixth graders, who assisted in setting up the show and also served refreshments and provided gallery tours. Art Show Photos.

Traveling Back in Time
Students in Mrs. Lisicki's fourth grade recently completed a unit on the American Revolution and, Revolutionary War re-enactor Neil  Martin visited the classroom to share information about the area's rich history. Donning period attire, Mr. Martin told of his character's role in the Third Regiment Tryon County Militia. He also displayed a variety of colonial-era supplies, such as eating utensils, satchels and moccasins. After the visit, one student commented, "It was just like our (text) book, only with a real person!"

Beautiful Rag Coats
Kindergarteners in Mrs. Edwards' classroom read "The Rag Coat" by Lauren Mills. This is a story about a little girl named Minna, whose family can't afford a winter coat for her. Several quilting mothers decide to make Minna a coat using scraps of clothes and other family possessions. The children enjoyed the story so much, they made their own little rag coats resembling Minna's. They used scraps of different materials and then wrote a sentence describing their coats. If you are in the Warren Street building, be sure to take a moment to look at their beautiful rag coats displayed on the wall. While you are here, take a look at these photos.

Pre-Kindergarteners & Family Enjoy Library Night
The pre-k classes invited Warren Street families to enjoy an evening at the Johnstown Public Library on January 23. While library staff member Valerie Rogers described to parents the many different services available at the library, the children enjoyed stories read by teacher Ellen Roehl, as well as a snack.  A great time was had by all!

Aunt Helen's Closet
As an Arts in Education (AIE) Assembly, storyteller Ellen Mnich recently presented the interactive event "Aunt Helen's Closet" at Warren Street School. Students and staff were enraptured by stories of Aunt Helen's globetrotting travels during the early part of the Twentieth Century and enjoyed the opportunity to dress in items of cultural specific clothing, all while handling various souvenirs, as shown in these photos.

Warren Street Students' Poetry Chosen for Publishing Again
In May 2007, 21 Warren Street fourth-graders composed and submitted original poems to National Schools Project's Young American Poetry Digest and, by October 2007, there were 20 published poets at Warren Street School! This marks the second year in a row that submissions from Warren Street fourth-graders have been selected for publication. While the national acceptance rate of poems is around 68-percent, Warren Street fourth-graders have had a 97-percent acceptance rate! A copy of the 2007 Young American Poetry Digest (as well as the 2006 edition) is located in the Warren Street library, so that everyone can enjoy the fabulous limericks, cinquains, haikus and free verse poems that were judged for their quality based on creativity, language, sensory and figurative imagery, structure and poetic technique.
 

Celebrating the 100th Day of the School Year
On Tuesday, February 12, students in Ms. Buggeln’s, Mrs. Edwards’, Miss Shutter’s and Mrs. Giblin’s (BOCES) classrooms celebrated the 100th Day of School at Warren Street with many fun activities. See 100th Day Photos. Also see See 100th Day Posters.

Fourth Graders are Behaving Like Babies
As part of an interdisciplinary lesson, students in fourth grade regressed to their infant years. Students first read a story from their Open Court reading series about the invention and marketing of Gerber baby food. Then came the big event--a baby food taste-test. Students tasted a variety of Gerber baby foods and voted for their favorite. Finally, the votes were tallied and the results were graphed. Banana-Mixed Berry was the clear winner, but fourth graders relayed that they definitely prefer food they can sink their teeth into!

Get Your Motor Running, Head out to the... Library?
Are you familiar with Warren Street's "Race into Reading" Accelerated Reader program? By choosing from a large selection of books in either the Warren Street Library or the Johnstown Public Library, and then completing the corresponding comprehension tests in our computer lab, students in grades one through six can rack up points to earn fun prizes. To learn more about the program, or to see who is currently in first place, visit  Warren Street's Accelerated Reader Program page!
 

A Note from Mrs. Christiano

Your child’s safety is of the utmost importance to us. During recess, the students use the playground and, in order to keep this area safe, the parking lot in front of the playground is for school employees only. Accordingly, it is blocked off from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

The parking lot in front of the school is available for parents dropping off and picking up their children. Please note that this parking lot is considered a roadway (Warren Street). Warren Street becomes a one-way street after the last residential driveway. All traffic exiting the parking lot needs to proceed in a one-way direction toward Wright Drive.

Please be aware of students crossing the parking lot and of buses during arrival and dismissal. It is illegal to pass a school bus with its red lights flashing! Thank you for your concern.

New Phone System at Warren Street
Have you called the school recently? If you have, you noticed that we have a new automated phone system in place. The following are instructions regarding the phone system:

To call the Main Office press 0. You should use this extension for:
**For calls relating to transportation
**If you have to pick up your child early
**For prekindergarten issues
To call the nurse, press 3. You should use this extension for:
**Reporting absences
To call the Guidance Counselor, press 4
To call the Kitchen, press 6
To call the Maintenance Office, press 7
To contact the BOCES office call 762-1341

You may also leave a voice mail. To do so, press #. Teachers will check their mailboxes regularly, however, they will only be able to do so during their breaks. If you have an issue that needs to be addressed immediately, please contact the main office.

Finally, as with any new system, there are kinks to be worked out. May we ask that you  please bear with us as we work work through them. Thank you for your understanding.

Literature Inspires Art
Over the past several weeks, fourth graders in Mrs. Lisicki's class have been reading the novel "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park. This novel chronicles the story of a young Korean orphan, who dreams of one day molding famous Korean celadon pottery.

Inspired by the novel, students put their hands to clay and created their own molded masterpieces. As part of a collaborative effort, our art teacher, Ms. Vasal, has been guiding the students as they explore sculpting techniques, the use of slip and glaze, as well as the process of firing in a kiln.

Radio Disney Move It! Comes to Warren Street
On Thursday, January 17, Warren Street students enjoyed a Radio Disney Move It! assembly, courtesy of our PTA. At the end of the assembly, each student received a lanyard and an activity card. Our physical education teacher, Mr. Weber, will work with the students to track their activities and duration of daily exercise for one moth. At the end of the month, the students will turn in their activity card. If a student exercises for at least 20 minutes, four times a week, for one month, he or she is entitled to a collective Move It! pin. The program will span a four month period, so each student will have the opportunity to collect as many as four Move It! pins. See more photos.

Crazy Hair Day
On Friday, December 21, the Warren Street School PTA sponsored "Crazy Hair Day" for the students. In return for a donation of twenty-five cents to the YMCA Build A Brick campaign, students were able to go a little crazy. Take a peek at these photos to see some of the weird, wacky, wavy, wind-tossed, way-cool and wonderfully creative styles sported throughout the day.

Warren Street Band & Chorus Performs
Prior to their Winter Concert performance on the evening of December 20, the Warren Street School Band and Chorus treated the student body to a special afternoon assembly. Catch a glimpse of the show in these performance photos!

Pre-K Students Get Into Holiday Spirit
The students in the pre-kindergarten classes at Warren Street School are in the holiday spirit. They participated in a holiday poinsettia fundraiser, sang Christmas carols to Mrs. Christiano and visited with Santa Claus. Happy holidays from all of the pre-kindergarten students at Warren Street School! See More Photos.

Local Author Shares Book with Warren Street Students
Author Nancy VanDenburgh recently visited Warren Street School to share her book "Delbert Vole and the Christmas Tree." Students enjoyed hearing her read the story, which was illustrated by Warren Street teacher aide Christine VanValkenburgh. Thank you to Mrs. VanDenburgh for donating a signed copy of her book to the Warren Street School Library! See More Photos.

Top Sellers Ride to Lunch in Limo
On Friday, December 14, 10 Warren Street students were treated to a limousine ride to Pizza Hut, as the winners of our  "Go to Lunch with Mrs. Christiano" contest. The students won this chance to go to lunch in style by being the top sellers in their classrooms. A big thank you to Marty Quinn of Primavera Limousine and Paul Forsey of C&H Fundraiser.  More Photos.

Breakfast with Santa
On Saturday, December 8, students at Warren Street School were invited to join Santa Claus for breakfast, have their pictures taken with Santa and do some of their holiday shopping at Santa's workshop. A big thank you to the Warren Street PTA for organizing this annual event, where a great time was had by all! More Photos Here.

Honoring Mr. Shibley
Third grade students recently presented Warren Street custodian John Shibley with a farewell book of thank you letters. After many years of taking excellent care of our needs here at Warren Street, Mr. Shibley is moving on to another position within the district. We will miss him, but we wish him well!

Annual Family BINGO Night
On Wednesday, November 7, the Warren Street PTA hosted their annual Family BINGO Night. Warren Street families came back to school during the evening to enjoy a fun filled evening of BINGO. There was no admission charge for the event, just a donation to the Warren Street PTA annual food drive. Additionally, the fall Scholastic book fair was opened that evening for families to shop between BINGO rounds. BINGO Photos
 

Lunch Bunch
"Lunch Bunch" is a positive award program providing all Warren students with a special day. Each Thursday, teachers notify the office of a student who displays citizenship, improvement or a special trait for "Lunch Bunch" that week. On Friday mornings, "Lunch Bunch" students are congratulated by name over the PA system . At lunchtime, these students go to the front of the line, get their lunch on special plates and sit at a special table. For dessert they receive an ice cream sundae, compliments of the Warren Street PTA.

Just a Reminder: Visit District Homepage
Information of importance to all schools in the district (i.e., stranger-danger tips, NYS Test Sampler links, etc.) is posted to the district homepage of the GJSD Web site. When checking your individual school’s page, please remember to check the district homepage, as well.

Wondering what Greater Johnstown School District news you may have missed?

News items previously listed can be accessed in our Archives.

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Universal Pre-K Program
Central Council PTA
21st Century CLC After-School Program

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